Category: benefits

US Unemployment Claims Tick Up to 245,000, but Still Low

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains low by historic standards. U.S. jobless claims rose by 5,000 to 245,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which evens out week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 500 to 239,750. At the start of the year, weekly…


US Jobless Claims Rise but Remain at Historically Low Levels

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose to their highest level in more than a year, but remain at relatively low levels despite efforts by the Federal Reserve to cool the economy and job market in its battle against inflation. Jobless claims in the U.S. for the week ending April 8 rose by 11,000 to 239,000…


Social Security Predicted to Reduce Payments by 2033

Unless Congress does something to change it, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will reduce payments by as much as 20 percent by 2033. The talk about it has continued for a couple of years, but now it is predicted to take place one year sooner than projected earlier. The depletion of money in the Social…


Applications for Jobless Aid Rising but Still at Low Levels

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid was higher over the past few months than the government had initially reported, reflecting a modest rise in layoffs as the economy has slowed in the face of higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of applications has been above 200,000 since early February—above…


More Americans File for Jobless Claims; Layoffs Remain Low

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose last week but remain at historically low levels despite efforts by the Federal Reserve to cool the economy and the job market in its fight against inflation. Jobless claims in the U.S. for the week ending March 25 rose by 7,000 to 198,000 from the previous week, the Labor…


US Jobless Claims Inch Down as Labor Market Remains Tight

The labor market continues to defy Federal Reserve attempts to cool hiring, with U.S. applications for unemployment benefits down again last week and remaining at historically low levels. Jobless claims in the U.S. for the week ending March 18 fell by 1,000 to 191,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week…


The Fair Tax Act Can Benefit All Americans

On Jan. 10, 2023, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) introduced H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act, to replace the current tax code with a national consumption tax known as the FAIRtax. “Each household will receive a monthly prebate based on federal poverty levels and household size that will allow families to purchase necessary goods, such as…


US Applications for Jobless Benefits Fall Again Last Week

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid fell last week as the labor market remains resilient in the face of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases meant to cool the economy. Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. for the week ending Feb. 18 fell by 3,000 last week to 192,000, from 195,000 the…


Applications for Jobless Aid Rise Last Week, but Remain Low

More Americans filed for jobless benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low despite attempts by the Federal Reserve to cool the economy, and hiring, to bring down inflation. Applications for jobless aid in the U.S. for the week ending Feb. 4 rose by 13,000 last week to 196,000, from 183,000 the previous week, the…


Levels of Dependency on the State Have Reached Record Levels, Says UK Think Tank

A record 36 million people in Britain now live in households that receive more benefits from the state—including free education and health care—than they contribute in tax, according to a report by the think tank Civitas. Civitas analysed data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) from 2020/21 and found 54.2 percent of individuals were…